Young Florida women dress up as grandmothers to get the coronavirus vaccine, and it may have worked

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – With hoods on their heads and faces with glasses, two young women pretended to be elderly so they could get the coronavirus vaccine, and it looks like their creature may have worked at least once.

Dr. Raul Pino, of the Florida Department of Health in Orange County, said the couple was ripped off when they tried to get their second shot Wednesday at the Orange County Convention Center.

[TRENDING: Plan to track COVID-19 variant | NASA prepares to land Mars rover | REWATCH: Town hall on race, obstacles, opportunities]

Announcements

“We have not lacked weapons ready to be vaccinated. We also have people who prefer to be old to get vaccinated. Yesterday, then, we noticed that a couple of young ladies came disguised as grandmothers to get vaccinated for the second time, so I don’t know how they escaped the first time, but they got vaccinated. The coats, the gloves, the glasses: all in all and they were probably in their twenties, ”said Pino.

Not sure how or even if the two young women were able to get the first doses, but when they showed up Wednesday to complete the series they presented a valid vaccination card.

“There were some issues with their identifiers and their driver’s license, but I don’t know all the details about them,” Pino said.

He added that the vaccinators realized they “looked funny” and stopped them just before receiving the shots.

Orange County Sheriff’s Office was called after they were caught processing a report on the situation and issuing rape notices to the two women. Deputies said their real names appeared on the vaccination cards, but the date of birth did not match. One woman was 34 and the other was 44.

Announcements

There will also be an investigation to determine if they actually received the first shot.

“So part of the conclusions we have to make is that they were actually vaccinated by us, when (they were) vaccinated, what happened, what date, what time to try to find out if there are holes, cracks, in the process that allows people to do that, ”Pino said.

If the women had entered the correct dates of birth when registering for an appointment, the system would have blocked them as they are not old enough, but Pino said they could have used false information or received help from someone who works. on the spot.

“People are very, very scared to get the vaccine, ‘I want it now.’ And some people are really excited. So I can also see that someone had said, ‘Okay, we don’t have that many people, yes, it happens. “So anything could have happened,” Pino said.

While he knows there is a lot of anxiety, as residents wonder when they will be able to be inoculated, he urged patience with the process, as those most vulnerable to COVID-19 receive the shots first.

Announcements

“It’s a little fun for a certain sense, but it’s also disappointing because they take the place that someone else, with a much bigger need, could have had that place,” he said.

Pino noted that security has recently increased at the site, where approximately 2,500 shots a day are administered to people 65 and older, as well as health workers.

“We’ve seen the odd things happening happen and people walk suspiciously, people are watching the place. So we’ve asked for extra security and we’ve installed cameras and other security items in the vaccine room,” Pino said.

Strangers have also approached the nurses as they leave their shift at 10pm for strangers asking them if they have more shots left.

And Wednesday’s incident isn’t the first time an ineligible resident has tried to fool himself into getting one of the coveted shots fired.

“So there have been a few. They are all different and creative. There was another person who bore the same name as his father, he came with a card but a different birthday. But, you know, we have access to a lot of information. Therefore, we can quickly check who is who, where they were born, you know, everything you can imagine, ”said Pino.

Announcements

Still, she knows the two young women aren’t the only ones slipping through the cracks.

“I think it’s higher than we suspect, to be honest with you. Because we’re committed to this process and we try to move people quickly, there are people who could come in, so it’s probably higher than we suspect, ”Pino said.

---

Use the form below to sign up for ClickOrlando.com Strange Florida newsletter, sent every Friday.